Page 48 of Dragon King’s Duty Bride

He shifted his gaze pointedly to the path. Just as his boot caught on a stone the size of a traitor.

There was a split second of realization followed by a spectacular loss of dignity. His foot slid and his balance tipped. His brain, normally capable of running a scenario without disaster, supplied nothing useful.

“Oh sh…,” Sia squealed as he basically left her floating in mid-air.

“I’ve got you,” he said, which would have sounded heroic if his voice hadn’t cracked.

He twisted on instinct and turned his body so his back hit the ground first. They went down in a graceless tangle of limbs and indignation. Lucas barely had time to brace for impact before Sia landed squarely on his chest.

All the air left him in one dramatic, humiliating whoosh which closely resembled the sound of a goose.

For a moment, there was only sky above him and Sia’s hair in his face and the profound realization that lungs were important.

Sia pushed up on her hands and looked at him through really wide eyes. “Lucas! Are you okay?”

He opened his mouth but no sound came out.

She blinked down at him. “Lucas?”

He tried again. A wheeze emerged that was not impressive.

She scrambled away from him. “I squished you.” She pushed on his chest. “Speak to me.”

He managed a tiny shake of his head as he fought for both oxygen and dignity.

“Say something!”

He finally sucked in a shallow breath that felt like he inhaled through a coffee stirrer. “You… are not… heavy.”

“Well, that sounded like a lie.”

“It wasn’t, I promise.” He coughed, then groaned. “I just forgot how breathing works.”

She stared at him for half a second longer before she started laughing.

Not a polite chuckle. Not a restrained giggle. Full, unladylike, snorting laughter that echoed through the trees.

He glared up at her. Or tried to. It was difficult to look stern while pinned under the woman you were trying to impress.

“You dropped me,” she said between laughs.

“I heroically shielded you from the ground.”

“You tripped over a pebble.”

“It was a rock. A malicious rock.” He pointed at her. “And I told you that you snort.”

Her laughter only intensified, and despite the fact that his ribs felt personally betrayed, a grin tugged at his mouth. The tension of the afternoon loosened like a knot finally coming undone.

“Did you actually cuss?”

“Me?” She made a mock gasp of indignation. “I am a queen; I’ll have you know. Queens do not cuss.”

“I’ll remember you said that the next time I drop you.”

A new round of laughter burst out and mingled with the trees.

She wiped her eyes. “We must look ridiculous.”